Hello, motorsports enthusiasts! Welcome to another edition of Seven Points with Kobe Lambeth and Kenneth Lee Jr. We will provide weekly commentary, discussing various topics in motorsports. The majority of our content will focus on NASCAR but other disciplines will be discussed as well.
Lambeth is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who is a Communications major (mass media concentration) and minor in Journalism. In addition, he contributes to motorsports coverage at The Podium Finish and serves as the co-host of GRID Live. Lee is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, an alumnus of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program and an Associate Producer in Content Development for the Motor Racing Network. 1. Last Sunday, NASCAR hosted a tripleheader at Pocono Raceway with the three national series. Trucks, Xfinity and Cup put on a long day of racing at the Tricky Triangle. In the future, do you think NASCAR should look at tripleheader weekends? Lambeth: I think it would be interesting if they went down that route. By doing this, you will have a full day of racing. It might be good for the folks watching at home, but what about people at the track? I have no idea if they would be willing to sit in the grandstands for hours and hours, especially on hot summer days. We do not want them getting dehydrated or suffering an even worse fate. I like the concept of a tripleheader on the same day, but I think it truly depends on the track and time of year. Lee: It would be something to see a tripleheader in one day, but I don’t think it will happen like that very often in the future. While we got a very unique experience last Sunday to have all three series, I think some may find it as too much to handle in one day. Of course, there are a ton of factors that may cause problems, including weather, but I would rather have doubleheader days instead of triple. 2. Go Fas Racing announced that Patriots of America PAC has partnered with the team, sponsoring Corey LaJoie's No. 32 Ford Mustang for nine races, running a "Trump 2020" paint scheme. This generated mixed emotions from fans on social media. On the other hand, the FIA does not allow any sponsorship that relates to the political world. NASCAR does not have a policy against political sponsorship. Should NASCAR revisit this area? Lambeth: While NASCAR does not have a similar policy as the FIA when it comes to political sponsorships, I think it is definitely something they can revisit. Times are changing. In 2018, Santino Ferrucci tried to run a "Make America Great Again" livery on his Formula 2 car and it was denied by the FIA. Lee: With the current climate, it is something that should be taken into consideration just like the FIA does. However, I think this year it makes more of a difference, based on the current political climate. 3. In the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR will introduce the "choose cone rule," which is commonly used in local short track racing. What do you think of NASCAR's decision to experiment this rule in the All-Star Race? If all goes well, should it become a common rule next season? Lambeth: It seems like the All-Star Race is becoming an event that is used to experiment with new ideas or concepts. The choose cone rule is popular in the short track community and makes things very interesting with restarts. If it works well in the All-Star race, I would not have an issue with it being introduced next season regularly at certain tracks. Lee: With the new rule, I think it gives some new spice to the race that people have been asking for a long time with the new venue. Adding what’s known at a Saturday Night Short Track and on the local circuit, it is a pretty cool thing to happen during the All-Star Race. 4. Lewis Hamilton unveiled a special helmet, bringing awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement. The six-time Formula 1 world champion has been very vocal about the fight against racism. In addition, Mercedes switched to a black livery to stand with Hamilton. Are you impressed by Mercedes for taking this matter very seriously? Is Hamilton doing a solid job showing leadership during these tense times? Lambeth: Yes, Mercedes does a lot of credit for standing with Lewis Hamilton. They are listening and willing to be a part of the change. Hamilton has shown tremendous leadership and is not afraid to speak his mind. Without a doubt, he will continue to be a strong voice as he uses his platform to fight for a better society for all. Lee: Absolutely, I don’t think once Lewis Hamilton has missed the mark in terms of making an effort to make a change. I’m sure in his time he’s heard a plethora of things but even then he hasn’t been scared to stand for social issues. He’s definitely been using his platform to bring awareness during these times and it’s greatly appreciated. 5. Seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus, meaning that he will miss this weekend's Brickyard 400. Justin Allgaier is set to replace him in the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. In addition, IMSA driver Felipe Nasr tested positive for coronavirus as well, with Gabby Chaves replacing him at Daytona alongside Pipo Derani at Action Express Racing. Was it inevitable? Lambeth: To be honest, I'm surprised that we have not seen something like this happen way sooner. At this rate, it was going to happen eventually. Unfortunately, Jimmie Johnson became the first NASCAR driver to test positive. Hopefully, the seven-time champion and his wife will recover soon and get back to doing what he loves. We will probably see more positive cases and people falling ill in the motorsports community soon. I wish I felt more optimistic but it just seems inevitable. Lee: This was the one thing everyone worried about as sports began to start back up. Now, for it to happen to one of your most famous drivers, I’m sure not too many could imagine when it comes to big name drivers listed. With people moving around in different places it was bound to happen to someone. It will be interesting to see how things move after this weekend. 6. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is preparing for a race weekend with a full schedule. On Saturday, the NTT IndyCar Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series will compete on the IMS road course. Meanwhile, the NASCAR Cup Series concludes the weekend with the Brickyard 400 on Saturday afternoon. Many fans are looking forward to the IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader. Do you think we will see IndyCar and NASCAR share the track more often down the road? Lambeth: With Roger Penske in control of the IndyCar side of things, I think we certainly have a better chance to see NASCAR and IndyCar share the track more often. When the fans are able to get back to the track and paddocks interacting with each other, I believe that it will be great for all involved. A lot of folks would love to watch crossovers occur too, with an IndyCar driver racing in NASCAR and vice versa. Lee: Just as Kobe said, with Roger Penske being in control, it makes for a world of a difference. I think with him at the helm, we will do something like this again at circuits that pair up with NASCAR and IndyCar. It’s already been cool to see the both combined, but I can’t imagine how it would’ve been with fans mixing disciplines for the entire weekend. 7. On Saturday night, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship returned to action for the first time since the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January. 26 cars entered the WeatherTech 240. With several teams being affected by the global pandemic and a low car count, should we be worried about IMSA's future? Lambeth: It is certainly something to pay attention to. Before the pandemic struck, car counts were already declining. Now, other teams have been forced to change their racing programs, due to the pandemic. Sponsorship may be a little harder to find as many businesses struggle to get back on their feet. Hopefully, this is not the beginning of a sad situation unfolding in IMSA. Lee: It’s noticeable for sure, but I think this is partially a COVID-19 deal and part of an already declining car count. I think it hurts more in this time than anything but I wouldn’t worry fully about IMSA. I believe once things get back to normal it should be okay for teams once again when it comes to finding more sponsorship
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